Your Health

I was at a popular Drug Store the other day and they asked me if I wanted a "Wellness Card". I asked what it was useful for and they said: "Oh you get discount points towards over-the-counter meds and if you get a certain number of prescriptions filled here, eventually you can get a discount on your regular prescriptions" and I said "That sounds like a SICKNESS card to me!" The clerk was truly puzzled and said
"No....it's our WELLNESS card!" I had to laugh.

Our entire U.S. economy would collapse if a large percentage of us stopped using pharmaceuticals or stopped visiting doctors. Scary thought. I don't think Americans even notice the many ways that our thinking is manipulated where health is concerned. The effectiveness of good nutrition is not seriously promoted by the medical industry....because they don't want to lose us as customers. We are encouraged and supported to get and stay sick in this country. I remember once that a doctor told me I had IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) and that it was incurable and I would have it for the rest of my life. IBS causes alternating bouts of painful cramping/diarrhea, bloating/gas and nausea to the point where you don't want to eat! And you have to restrict your diet and your activities (being stuck on an airplane is unthinkable for instance and I love to travel). IBS is debilitating. He gave me quite a "life sentence" that day and I was only 25 at the time so I was very depressed by his news. Suddenly the pharmaceuticals he prescribed were a daily regimen and a monthly expense. I was unhappy for nearly a year in my IBS prison until I decided to take charge of my life and my health. I visited and abandoned several medical specialists (the last one told me that if having IBS was making me unhappy....I should ALSO take anti-depressants!). Finally, I found a holistic doctor who explained that the IBS was MEDICALLY INDUCED (I had been given too many back-to-back prescriptions of anti-biotics and my digestive flora had been wiped out and never properly restored). With this open-minded doctor's help and the help of probiotics, slippery elm powder, a wholefoods (nearly macrobiotic) diet and specific supplements I was able to regain normal digestive function. This in turn, improved my overall health (immune function, pain threshold, psychological health all improved dramatically!) I was also able to escape the prison that my "well-meaning" doctor had sentenced me to dwell in. I no longer have a "condition". And I firmly believe that our bodies want to be healthy and if we support the body to heal itself. It will.

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Save money and trips to the market with these tips and tricks from Rebecca DiLiberto’s Penny Saving Household Helper. You’ll be surprised how simple it is to keep food at its best.

1. Line the bottom of your refrigerator’s crisper drawer with paper towels. They’ll absorb the excess moisture that causes vegetables to rot.
2. To keep herbs tasting fresh for up to a month, store whole bunches, washed and sealed in plastic bags, in the freezer. When you need them, they’ll be easier to chop, and they’ll defrost the minute they hit a hot pan.
3. A bay leaf slipped into a container of flour, pasta, or rice will help repel bugs.
4. Stop cheese from drying out by spreading butter or margarine on the cut sides to seal in moisture. This is most effective with hard cheeses sealed in wax.
5. When radishes, celery, or carrots have lost their crunch, simply pop them in a bowl of iced water along with a slice of raw potato and watch the limp vegetables freshen up right before your eyes.
6. Avoid separating bananas until you plan to eat them – they spoil less quickly in a bunch.
7. Put rice in your saltshaker to stop the salt from hardening. The rice absorbs condensation that can cause clumps.
8. Stock up on butter when it’s on sale – you can store it in the freezer for up to six months. Pack the butter in an airtight container, so it doesn’t take on the flavor of whatever else you’re freezing.
9. In order to make cottage cheese or sour cream last longer, place the container upside down in the fridge. Inverting the tub creates a vacuum that inhibits the growth of bacteria that causes food to spoil.
10. Believe it or not, honey is the only nonperishable food substance, so don’t get rid of the stuff if it crystallizes or becomes cloudy. Microwave on medium heat, in 30-second increments, to make honey clear again.
11. Prevent extra cooked pasta from hardening by stashing it in a sealed plastic bag and refrigerating. When you’re ready to serve, throw the pasta in boiling water for a few seconds to heat and restore moisture.
12. Keeping brown sugar in the freezer will stop it from hardening. But if you already have hardened sugar on your shelf, soften it by sealing in a bag with a slice of bread – or by microwaving on high for 30 seconds.
13. If you only need a few drops of lemon juice, avoid cutting the lemon in half – it will dry out quickly. Instead, puncture the fruit with a metal skewer and squeeze out exactly what you require.
14. If you’re unsure of an egg’s freshness, see how it behaves in a cup of water: Fresh eggs sink; bad ones float.